Allain Named Finalist for Taylor Award

Mar 08, 2010

COACH PREPARING BLUE FOR QUARTERFINAL

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Keith Allain ‘80,
Yale’s Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach of Hockey, won his 70th
game in four seasons as leader of the Bulldogs on Feb. 26 at
Princeton. ECAC Hockey announced Monday that he is one of four
finalists for the 2009-10 Men's Tim Taylor Coach of the Year Award,
which is voted on by the coaches.

The former Yale goalie has led the Blue to three Ivy League
titles, two ECAC regular season championships and a 2009 NCAA
Tournament appearance. He is currently preparing the Elis for this
weekend's conference quarterfinal playoff series with Brown.

Allain, who played and worked for Taylor at Yale, had an eye on
Vancouver whenever possible during the Olympics because of his
connection to the U.S. players. He worked with 13 of the 22 on the
Olympic roster, either in the National Hockey League or at the 2006
Winter Games, including Chris Drury, Zach Parise and Brian
Rafalski.

In 2008-09 Allain earned the Taylor Award by leading Yale to the
best season in the program’s history. A school-record 24
wins, Yale’s first ECAC Tournament Championship and a
school-best No. 5 national ranking in late March were a few reasons
why the coached picked him. College Hockey News named him 2008-09
national coach of the year.

This is Allain’s 11th overall year at Yale; he spent four
as a student-athlete goalie and three as an assistant coach in the
1980s.

The other finalists are Nate Leaman of Union, Joe Marsh of St.
Lawrence and Colgate's Don Vaughan.